"Did you talk to him?" I asked.
She looked at me with the same confused look I was wearing. "I told you he was sleeping."
I shook my head. "I don't understand how that's exciting," I said. "There's really nothing I can do if he's already sleeping."
"Just go lay out there."
"What?" I must have had a comically confused expression on my face, because she laughed.
"Seriously, he's on the big sectional, and I think you should just go out there and lay on the other end of it. Take a blanket and pillow."
I studied her face as my smile faded. "You're actually serious about that?"
"Sure."
"Your plan is for me to go lay down by his feet?"
"Exactly."
"And what's supposed to happen?"
"All that needs to happen is for you two to get more than five minutes alone. Just go out there. He will tell you what to do."
I couldn't believe I was actually doing it, but one minute she was telling me to go out there, and the next, we were loading me up with a blanket and pillow. I tiptoed down the long hallway that led to the main living room. The sectional Dominic was sprawled out on was the largest couch in the room, but there were several others spread out, none of them occupied. I knew it'd be weird if anyone caught me doing this, and I trembled with nerves as I ever so quietly walked across the room.
He was sleeping soundly. I sat on the other side of the couch, debating whether or not I wanted to go through with it. I dreaded an awkward encounter with him when he found me lying at his feet, but had to trust that Laura knew what she was talking about.
I sat on the couch for a good five minutes before I gave in and finally curled up with my blanket and pillow. I had only been there for a few minutes, and I was extremely still, so it shocked me when Dominic turned and moved suddenly.
He sat up and glanced around at full alert. My eyes were open but I was completely still, half-hoping he didn't see me. I knew the whole point of me being out there was to be seen, but it was scary now that it was happening.
He squinted in my direction. It was dark in there, but not pitch black, and I could tell he was trying to make out the shadows. "Is someone down there?" he asked. He sat up straighter and leaned toward me to stare at the heap of blankets at his feet.
Never in my life had I been so speechless as I was right then, but I knew I needed to say something—unless my plan was to pretend to be asleep. Was that even an option? I quickly decided it wasn't.
"I'm here," I said softly.
He leaned even further toward me and extended his hands to feel around. He made contact with my ankle, and even though there was a layer of blanket between us, I loved feeling his hand on me.
"Is it Rae?"
"Yes."
"Come here."
"What?"
"Come over here so we can talk."
I stood up, and wrapping my blanket around my shoulders, went to the section of the couch where he was sitting.
Chapter 11
Dominic patted the space next to him, and I sat close enough where my body brushed against his. He didn't pull away from me. In fact, he turned and positioned himself where he could wrap an arm around my shoulders.
"What are you doing here, Rae?" he asked with a squeeze.
I wanted to say, "Laura sent me and she told me you'd tell me what to do," but I didn't.
I glanced up at him, and was about to say something else, but he continued, "Not just here on this couch, but what are you doing at my store? Why'd you come into my life?"
I leaned over and rested my head on his strong chest. I could feel his warmth against my cheek even though he had on a T-shirt. I felt so secure and comfortable that I never wanted to leave this position.
"I'm working at your store because Laura and I are working to pay off Frankie," I said, answering the only question I could.
He pulled back and looked down at me. "What do you owe Frankie?"
It took me a second to remember Dominic probably didn't know we owed him anything. "It was some debt from the dealership," I said, casually. "It's really not a big deal. It was less than we anticipated once we sold everything. I was just trying to answer that question about working for you. He's the one who got me the job."
We were quiet for the span of a few seconds. "What are you doing on this couch?"
Even though he was speaking softly, his low voice rumbled in his chest, and I just sat there quietly, enjoying the feeling of being next to him.
"I don't know how to answer that," I said in regards to his couch question. I did know why I was there but I was too shy at that moment to come out with it.
"I'm paying Frankie. Just tell me the amount and I'll write a check."
"That is not why I came out here," I insisted, pulling back to stare up at him.
He flashed me a gorgeous smile. "I hope not," he said.
"It's not," I insisted.
"I'm still paying Frankie."
"No you're not. I already owe you enough for everything you've done."
"Oh, you'll pay me back," he said.
His voice was serious and sincere when he said it, and I smiled a little, not knowing how to take that statement.
"Are we keeping track?" I asked. "Because I'm getting deeper in the hole with you every month if that's the case."
"I'm definitely keeping track."
"How am I supposed to pay you back?"
He thought about his answer, and by the time he spoke, I thought he might ignore the question and change the subject. "Marry me," he said.
I giggled and leaned into his chest shyly. He pushed me back by the shoulders and stared right at my face from a few inches away. It was dark, but not dark enough that I couldn’t see the seriousness in his expression.
"Rae, are you here right now because you want to be with me?"
I considered denying it, but nodded slightly.
He stared at the ceiling and let out a sigh, and then he caught me up against his chest, squeezing me tightly to him. "Thank God! I knew you were Tony's and I didn't want to do anything to disrespect his memory or hurt Lu, but I've wanted you from the very moment I saw you, Rae. I feel like maybe you and I were meant to be together. Do you feel like it too?"
Tears of relief and joy had already begun streaming down my face, so instead of answering out loud, I just nodded.
"Do you think Lu would be okay with—"
I nodded again, and he put his arms around my head and shoulders, holding me closely to his chest again.
He let out a long sigh.
He held me like that for what must have been five minutes. I couldn't think of any words, and it seemed he couldn’t either.
"I guess I should go back to the bedroom," I finally said, even though it was about the last thing I wanted to do.
He breathed another long sigh. "It's probably best since we have so many people in the house," he said. "I'm sure Lu's missing you, and I don't want anybody else to get the wrong idea." He hesitated and squeezed me again. "You know what? I can't bear to let you go. Just lay beside me for the night. Let's get some rest. Dad will be up first. He'll be out here for coffee at seven on the dot, but as long as we get you outta here before then, nobody will see you."
"I can't just lay next to you," I said, even though I really wanted to.
"If someone comes out during the night, they'll assume…"
"I know we can't be seen together like this until we let everyone know what's going on, but I can't stand to let you go back in there. What if you sleep at the other end of the couch like you were before I woke up," he said. "We can set an alarm and get you out of here before Willy wakes up, but at least I'll know right where you are while we get a few hours sleep."
He'd just said a lot of words, but the part about letting everyone know what was going on was what stuck with me most. What was going on exactly? Was he serious when he said he wanted to marry me?
We'd just been sitting here holding onto each other
, and the longer we did, the more I started to doubt our situation. I thought he might have just told me that I should sleep by his feet because he couldn't bear for me to leave. My stomach did a delighted flip at the thought.
"Did you say you wanted me to lie down over there?" I asked, pointing to the spot by his feet.
"I want you to lie down beside me, but since that won't do, I'll have to settle for having you down there. Just make sure you share my blanket so I can feel your feet."
I sat up like I was about to make my way over there, but he stopped me. He brought his lips to my cheek and put a gentle kiss on it. My insides were buzzing with butterflies, and I drew in a shaky breath while his lips were still resting on my face. He left his mouth right there by my ear when he whispered, "I thought I was going to be able to stop at your cheek, but I can't resist your mouth, Rae. The temptation's too great."
"I'm glad," I whispered breathlessly.
He stared at me for a few seconds before letting his lips touch mine. My gut ached in an almost crippling bout of butterflies. The contact was brief and he pulled back a few inches to stare at me afterward.
"You need to go lie down there before…" He cleared his throat. "We'll make this official come sunrise."
So I stayed at Dominic's feet till the morning.
I woke to the feel of him shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes to find that he was on his knees next to the couch, leaning over me. I smiled instantly and he smiled back. "I've been sitting here staring at you for five minutes. I was so entranced I almost forgot to wake you up."
I sat up. "Is your dad up?"
"Not yet. He'll be out here in a few."
I gathered my blanket.
"You can get a couple more hours sleep if you want," he said. "Most of them won't make their way out here till nine or so for breakfast."
I yawned. A little more sleep sounded good, but I was so excited about Dominic that I didn't know if I'd be able to rest.
"Are you going back to sleep?" I asked.
He smiled and cupped a hand around my face. "No. Dad says he tries to be quiet if someone's sleeping out here, but he doesn't. He'll want me to get up and drink coffee with him so he can tell me about all he saw at the party." He stood up. "How much?"
"What?"
"For Frankie. I don't want you to go back to Laura empty handed. I'm sending you in there with a check. How much?"
"You're not doing that," I insisted.
"I want to. How much?"
His tone was so matter of fact that I just told him the amount without even thinking about it. "It's right at twenty-two thousand."
"That's it?"
I laughed.
"I thought when you said it was from the dealership we'd be talkin' at least a hundred."
I laughed again and rolled my eyes at him even though he couldn't see me because he was walking toward the kitchen. He stood at the bar for a minute, writing what I assumed was the check.
I was standing with my blanket and pillow in my hand when he returned. He had an athletic build and looked handsome walking toward me even in his pajamas. He handed me the check and then took me into his arms without giving me the chance to look at it.
"You have no idea how happy I am that you're mine," he said.
"I can't believe this is happening," I said.
"Do you want it to happen?"
"Yes."
"Me too."
I looked up at him, and popped up to place a little kiss right on his mouth. He smiled broadly and squeezed me by the waist. "I can't get enough of you Rae McBride."
"Well, you have to or else Big Willy's gonna catch us out here."
He gave me a last squeeze and a kiss on the cheek before letting me go. I ran silently into the bedroom, feeling like I might just explode from happiness.
I didn't look at the check until I got into the room. Laura appeared to be sleeping when I opened the door, but she stirred at the first sound I made. I glanced down at the check, which was made out for $25,000.00, and I smiled as I made my way to the bed to sit next to her.
I didn't show her the check right away.
"What happened?"
"It seems that Dominic and I might try to give things a go," I said. I couldn't bring myself to say he was going to marry me. It seemed too unreal.
"What did he say?"
Then suddenly, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I had to say the words. "I think he might have said he wanted to marry me," I said, my voice sounding uncertain.
"What'd he say?" she asked, wide-eyed.
I thought back to our conversation and tried to remember exactly how it went but couldn't.
"He found me right after I went out there," I said, starting at the beginning. "He seemed startled at first, but invited me to sit next to him. We talked and he held me there for a while. That's when he told me he wanted to marry me, I think."
"Well, what did he say?"
"He said he was paying the debt to Frankie and when I asked how I'd ever repay him, he said marry me."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that," I said, dazedly. "I can't believe it myself, actually. It can't be true, can it?"
She reached across the bed and grabbed my hands. "Of course it can," she said. "I knew it by the way he looked at you!"
"Do you think he feels obligated?" I asked, hoping she'd say I was being silly.
She reached up and put a hand on my chin, regarding me sweetly. "Who in their right mind would be obligated to be with you, Rae? He's as blessed to have you as you are to have him. More maybe."
I smiled and held up the check I'd forgotten about for a minute. "He said he didn't want me to come back to you empty handed."
She took the check from me and stared down at it. "This is too much. He can't be doing this anyway, but this is too much."
"I didn't even see what it was written for till I came in the room."
She put the check down and drew me into her arms. "I can't believe this is happening," she said. "I didn't think I'd ever understand happiness again, but you've become my daughter through all this, and my heart feels truly happy with this match, Rae. Dominic is going to take as good of care of you as Tony would have." She wiped at her eyes.
"I'll never forget Anthony," I said.
"I know you won't, and I know Dominic respects his memory."
"That was another thing he said—that he liked me before, but didn't want to act on it because he thought it might hurt you or me for Anthony's sake."
"I knew he was feeling like that," she said. "Maria even mentioned it. That's why I told you to go to him."
I sighed. "I don't want you to go out there announcing our wedding plans in the morning," I said. "Let Dominic mention it first just in case I'm wrong."
"You're not wrong. He loves you I can see it." She held up the check. "I can see it with a bunch of zeros right here. People don't just walk around handing out money."
"That could have been for you. You know, since you're family."
She smiled sweetly at me. "He loves you."
I smiled back. "I don't know what to say besides thank you. I don't know where I'd be right now if it wasn't for you."
"Rae, you have no clue what you've done for me. You've given me life where there was none."
I hugged her. "Dominic mentioned getting some more sleep, but I'm not sure if I could. He said Big Willy will have breakfast around nine."
"That's a couple of hours away," she said. "We'll be lazy for a bit and then get you pretty to go out there."
"I'm not expecting him to make an announcement or anything," I warned.
"I know he won't rest till everything is settled," she said.
We sprawled out on the bed and talked for a while about possibilities before deciding to get dressed. I was so glad we'd gone shopping the day before because I had a really cute hoodie to sport when I went out there. It was white with stripes across the chest in various muted colors that made it look old school. I loved how it fit me, and was hap
py to have something that made me feel confident. I wore the same jeans I had on at the party, but slipped on my pink converse instead of the boots I had on the night before.
Laura helped me put my blonde waves into a messy braid that hung over my right shoulder. I took my time with my makeup, but was careful not to overdo it. By the time I was ready to go out there, I felt happy and anxious to find out what was around the next corner.
Chapter 12
Laura and I walked down the hallway at 8:30AM to the sounds of a kitchen full of people. We could hear talking, and we slowed as we approached the living room. She stuck her arm in front of me to make sure I didn’t continue walking.
"I heard your name," she whispered.
"She ain't Italian, I'll tell you that," someone said.
"Do mom and dad care that she's not Italian?"
"Of course we don't," a woman's voice said. I assumed it was Maria.
"Willy might mind, did you ask him?" a guy said.
"I'm going out there," Laura whispered at that, but I stopped her.
"Dad doesn't mind," I heard Dominic say. I smiled knowing it was him. "I told him my plans right when he woke up this morning. He couldn’t be happier for us."
"And your plans are to marry her?"
"Yes."
"You barely know her, what if she's an axe murderer—a non-Italian axe murderer."
"That's it, I'm going out there," Laura said.
I put a hand out to stop her again. "Whoever it is, he's just playing around," I said. "I can hear it in his voice."
"I know, but I still don’t want him saying things like that."
"It's fine," I whispered.
"I can't say I blame you for questioning my sanity on this," I heard Dominic say, "but I can assure you it's something I've thought about since I met her. It's the best decision of my life—the only choice I had."
I heard a female in the room let out an awww, at his sentiment.
"She's a good woman," a man's voice said. "Just look at how she treats Lu."
"I'm going out there," Laura whispered, unable to handle it anymore. "I'll tell everyone you'll be right out."
"There she is right now," I heard someone yell a few seconds later when Laura showed her face.
Another Shot: A Modern-Day Ruth and Boaz Story Page 8